Intertwined
by TenraiTsukiyomi
Summary: Update: Who was Lilynette Gingerbuck? The list went on and on. She was an Arrancar. She was an arrogant brat. She was the other part of Starrk. She was his Zanpakuto. She was his Fraccion and closest companion. - And unknown to everyone but the only family she has, she was the former Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi.
1. Black Moon: Cursed and Slayer

**This is a little oneshot about... well, guess you can discover as you read. Sorry if you don't like it, and I may change it later in another oneshot among other oneshots, but this is the one that got my inspiration the most. I will steadily write other characters and so, but for now this will do.**

**Summary: The cost of learning the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō wasn't only the loss of his spiritual power. Kurosaki Ichigo was never the same again; Tensa Zangetsu just smiled bitterly. "****All power demands sacrifice."** **The Curse of the Uchiha lives in everyone, and no one but but knows about it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach.**

* * *

He hated the rain.

Out of the many things that he hated, rain was among his top 10 list.

Rain has both the symbolic and literal life-giving meaning. The rain is, in most cases, essential to humans, animals and plants. So in essence, it could be called the Water of Life, as in ages ago the rain was what had given humans and animals the liquid needed to live. Rain is sacred and a bringer of life.

Rain symbolise tears, sadness, frustration, darkness, depression, and misery. The rain is, what most people believe, a god or a deceased being weeping for the mortals living in this mortal planet. So in essence, it could be called the Heaven's Grief, for the heavens always cried when one of Life's creations passed away. Rain is cursed and the bringer of death.

He hated the rain, not because of the meaning nor because he hated life, but because it reminded him of his place. He was a tool, a weapon, an object that has a soul jailed inside those beings called "Shinigami". To others, he would have been an animated object with no soul or feelings, but they were morons for thinking that him and those of his "race" weren't alive.

He hated the rain because it reminded him that he was alone in a world consisting only of himself and the human that encased him. He hated the rain because he couldn't understand, couldn't ever understand how the water falling from the skies** frightened** him.

However, deep inside, he knew why.

To him, rain didn't mean life. He had seen how rain fell when a person's life was taken away, the rain had no right to be called the "Bringer of Life". It disgusted him that those pathetically naïve pests even had the balls to give the rain the title of "Water of Life". He had no meaning or purpose to live by, life was so painfully empty it hurt, and he could say that if he died in battle that he would have no regrets (so far), of course taken that he took down his enemies brutally with him.

To him, rain didn't mean death. He had seen too much death for mere water to be even in league with the touch of one; it had no right to be called the "Bringer of Death". It was pathetic; the rain that only cried for a person that it didn't even know, for something that it hadn't been forced to do. He didn't fear death, it was always a constant spectre when he was doing his past "jobs", and he could say that the threat or fear of death had dulled to a mere phantom whisper. Fear of death was pathetic and utterly insulting, it only stopped him from reaching his goals and killed him.

To him, rain symbolized the cause of his misery, despair, hatred, loss, anger and pain: Memories.

He hated the rain because not only did it increase the devastating loneliness in this world, but because it made him remember.

Remember the day he had realized that his nightmare was not a nightmare, that his family_ (precious, more so than any luxury or fame)_ had been massacred by the person he had trusted the most, his older brother. It had rained when the full loss of his family hit him.

Remember the day he had betrayed his only friend, how his hand had been drenched in blood of the bright sunshine that was his friend, remember how devastated his only friend had looked at his betrayal, how hurt his friend had looked when he had stomped on their bonds _(precious as their life; their connection; understood each other; orphans; no parents; so lonely...)_. It had rained when he looked at the seemingly crying _(or was it just rain? He didn't know but he had hoped it was)_ face of his unconscious friend.

Remember when he had killed that man, how he had been pressed against a wall as that man** smiled** at the one who killed him and poked his forehead, how his blood had felt upon his skin and the sound of a dead body as it hit the cold, hard and unforgiving ground. He had felt numb and empty, and then he had discovered the truth of his brother's _(not "that man" anymore; not a stranger or killer anymore; just an older brother who looked out for his foolish little brother; last words from his older brother, he didn't want it to be their last time)_. It had rained the day he had taken his brother's life too.

Remember when he killed his best friend, how the claws of insanity lift for a few seconds to make him see what he had exactly done, and how that stupid Dobe had the galls to grin at seeing him, HIM of all people, return to his right mind. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how the Dobe would even be happy that he_ (not the insanity that controlled him; not the arrogant Uchiha; not the slayer that killed his own comrades; but HIMSELF)_, the one who had vowed to kill _(didn't mean it, oh god, didn't mean it, didn'tmeanit, nonononono)_ his own best friend; but when he had done that, he found crushing despair and pain and anger and hate _(at himself)_. It had rained when he realized there was no clan, no brother and no best friend anymore; and he had decided to hell with it as the claws of insanity and despair and hatred and anger grasped him again, this time harder and deeper than ever.

He faintly decided that, that day had been the time where he had fully died, and focused his hatred on the one he was sure his deceased best friend and older brother wouldn't disapprove him of killing.

To him, rain reminded him of the crushing loneliness he had once scoffed at, of the hatred that he had created, of the pain he had made his older brother and only friend go through. It reminded him of his past mistakes and regrets, of how he had been so foolish and ignorant of the love that the people he considered family felt towards him, the ungrateful and selfish man who had destroyed their happiness.

And as he felt the insides of this water-filled world, what remained of the rain that eventually flooded this world and submerged it, he wondered how he couldn't hate the human-shinigami that jailed him inside his inner world. He was mostly the one who had caused the rain, the very thing he hated, yet he couldn't feel hate towards the human-shinigami.

But after some time, he had realized why he couldn't hate the brat.

Many years ago, he had died taking his cursed ancestor with him to death, and now he couldn't help but wonder if this was some joke.

Kurosaki Ichigo was painfully similar to the friend and older brother he had killed, and he found himself feeling pang-like pains in his chest every time he looked at that smartass, idiotic, oblivious, and naïve attitude and the hidden power, strength and intellect buried deep inside the human-shinigami. Sometimes, it was so painful to look at Kurosaki Ichigo's face and see the same face of his only friend grinning at him, yelling about protecting every person the ball of sunshine met; so idiotically naïve yet so like his best friend... It hurt too, to see the face of his stoic older brother in the Kurosaki's rare moments of intelligence, along with the times the brat took great care of his little sisters; so caring but only showing it in his own way, his older brother was bizarre and unique like that.

That's why there were a lot of things he could and couldn't do concerning Kurosaki Ichigo.

Hating Kurosaki Ichigo was like hating his only deceased friend and older brother, and even if he had betrayed them _(he considered not knowing of his brother's pain a betrayal, and he betrayed his best friend as the dobe's first friend)_, he hadn't ever gathered the will to hate the ball of sunshine nor could he do the same to his older brother after learning of his actions in protecting him, even when his deep hate towards Konohagakure had blinded his morals. Nothing could have made him hate his older brother or best friend as much as he hated Konohagakure and the world; but it was too late to think on that, they didn't hate him even when they had died by his hands and blade. That was exactly what gave him nightmares to end, their smiles as he ended their lives and the terrifying realization that came afterwards.

He hated the rain, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the one who created the rain of this world, the mirror image of the only _(dumb, energetic, cheerful, stupid, naïve, but caring all the same)_ friend he once had and the_ (cold, detached, stoic, emotionless, socially inept, but caring all the same)_ older brother he once had, the two of them being killed by his own hands.

And if one thing was sure, it was that he was a selfish man, living in the past and scorning the present and future.

He didn't want to teach Kurosaki Ichigo the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō**, for the boy would completely lose all his powers afterwards, and that was something he didn't want. It was already bad enough to see that grinning face overlapping the visage of a teenager Human, or the stoic face overlapping the scowling face of a teenager Shinigami; the orange-haired teenager was a failed-yet-successful mirror of his best friend and older brother to him, and he didn't want to teach the boy the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō**, for it would be like seeing the weakened Kurosaki as a weakened Uzumaki and Uchiha.

His best friend was in no way weak, having endured hatred and scorn for years and continue with that stupid grin and still be so bright. He hated seeing the after image of his deceased friend as a weakened idiot _(dumbass, totally naïve, rushes into things without thinking, too slow to catch hints, stupid with relationships; yep, an idiot, albeit he was sure both would try to kill him if they knew he thought that, indeed)_, no matter how true the last word was in both cases.

His older brother was in no way weak, having endured their family's pressure so that it wouldn't be transferred to himself, having sacrificed everything so that the little brother would live. He hated seeing the after image of his older brother as a weakened masochist _(gets hurt for his sisters', sacrifices blood and soul to see to it, his pride and image destroyed, is practically like a shield to his sisters' lives; yep, a masochist, albeit one unknowing of it, indeed)_, no matter how true the last word was in some of both cases.

They had both died, by his blade and hands and he was sure he wouldn't be able to forget it no matter how hard he tried; if he even wanted to because every memory with them was precious. His clan, older brother and best friend, they had all been precious and they were all gone; his memories were all that remained and he wasn't sure if he wanted to forget even the painful ones, because they reminded him that all hadn't been a nightmare.

Reality was cruel, but living in a dream was even crueller.

This time, he would make sure he did everything right; he wouldn't fail this time. He won't let another person die on him, even if this person didn't really know him as much as his clan, brother or best friend. He knew that while not teaching the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō** to him would probably ensure Ichigo's life if he also forced the teen to retreat, Ichigo may have been as good as dead when his family and friends died too; and he also couldn't bear to see the after-image of his older brother and best friend's crushed faces, since it was as if they had not been able to save their friend or little brother.

Teaching the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō** to Kurosaki Ichigo was not in his top 10 list, but he would have to if he wanted the boy to live, for the brat would sure rush in battle despite not having the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō;** all for his friends and family, huh? He supposed, that he was seeing it as protecting his older brother and best friend's wishes and lives.

He owed those two people so much, they had trusted him and loved him despite his foolishness, and he wasn't sure he could even repay them. They were people who were more pure than others and themselves believed; his older brother had suffered for his sake while the dobe went to great lengths to get him back to his senses, the betrayer and the cursed man, for it seemed that he was destined to either lose precious people or lead them to their doom.

Konohagakure was a rotten village, turning their back on the real heroes and hailing those blasted elders with disgusting reverence.

To this day, he hated Konohagakure for turning their back on his older brother and leaving him to his own misery. To this day, he hated Konohagakure for being so blind as to hate someone as bright as his Uzumaki friend and for abandoning the Uzumaki Clan in their war against three Great Villages and indirectly causing another clan massacre. Konohagakure was a disgusting piece of living waste, and he wasn't even sure why his deceased older brother and best friend cared so much for the thrice-dammned village; the rotten village had betrayed them and had done sins against them. It was not fair they got away with a clean state and happiness, whereas his older brother, his clan and his best friend had paid the price with tears and pain and blood and** life**.

Tensa Zangetsu's lips curled up into a bitter smile as he watched Kurosaki Ichigo accept the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō**; the power that contained the elegant and deadly beauty of Tsukuyomi _(the God of the moon and darkness of the spiritual world)_, the grieving and compressed fire of Amaterasu_ (the Goddess of sun and light of the material world)_, and the uncontrolled rage and sins of Susanoo_ (the God of storms and seas, uncontrolled by no one but himself)_.

Only he remembered the real depth of the sacrifices his deceased older brother and best friend did for that ungrateful village, only he remembered the depth of the sacrifices two of the most important people in his life _(and death)_ did for him and their smiles as they breathed their last breaths, their blood staining his hands and haunting his nightmares.

And now that Kurosaki Ichigo accepted his blade; his essence, his resolve and memories...

Kurosaki Ichigo would, too, know about everything; his older brother, his clan, his best friend and how he should be more grateful that his sisters and friends were alive.

Deep inside him, he hoped that Kurosaki Ichigo did not make the same mistakes as him, and that he would not be blinded by everything Soul Society _(reminded him too much of Konohagakure; pure and bright and good on the outside, dark and corrupt and rotten on the inside; utterly disgusting)_ said.

Uchiha Sasuke had done many things, his will was centered around many emotions, mostly revenge and hatred and pain and anger; so one surprising thing was his will to protect the smartass, idiotic, oblivious, naive, strong, protective, observant, caring and unofficial legacy of his deceased best friend and older brother.

Even if it killed him, even if it meant his own existence would be a mere nothing but a whisper of a name; he didn't care if he had the chance to save even one life _(and probably the first life he would have saved)_. He had become a bit fond of Kurosaki Ichigo, and it was not on the bad and revengeful side; while his affections didn't came up close to his clan or older brother or best friend, it was more than hundreds could have hoped for and the first hatred-unrelated feelings he had since his clan, older brother and best friend died.

There would only be regret at not being able to see the legacy of the weasel or maelstrom grow any further; regret at all the wrongs he had done and the burden he had given at the brat, memories that should have been best left with him to die.

But then, everything faded until not even regret or dreams or hope remained.

* * *

It was not until his powers completely disappeared that the tap restraining the burden of memories disappeared, making Ichigo collapse as unwanted images washed over him.

Death and corpses and red moon and black hatred and _bloodbloodbloodblood_.

"Oh god..." whispered Ichigo, and hearing his friends running to him, he raised his head and hoped that the images were not true.

That was the thing he shouldn't have done: Look at his friends.

"Kurosaki-kun!" screamed Orihime, shocked as Ishida and Chad ran over him; they were all worried.

Instead of the unharmed and alive faces of his friends, he saw bloody faces replacing them, screams of terror and smiles of relief alike etched on their faces, broken bodies trying to move and bones sticking out and internal organs hanging on open flesh and gore and blood and wounds and**_ dying_**.

"Kami..." His eyes widened, and he hysterically switched his attention to everywhere but them, and he saw that his hands were suddenly red with something sticky.

_**Blood**_

Blood was everywhere and anywhere; his hands and face and walls and ground and sky and friends and goat-face and , oh god, _his sisters_.

Darkness forcefully pulled him into its embrace, knocking him out as images came more smoothly, full of death and blood and hatred and pain and loss and haunting smiles.

Kurosaki Ichigo would never be the same again.

For that was the price he had to pay when he decided to use the **Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō.**

Complete loss of his spiritual power.

Memories of a dark past, unwanted and forgotten by all but him.

And the sheer terror in which he realized that he did not have the power to protect his sisters and friends anymore, and the things that could happen to each of them.

* * *

The Curse of the Uchiha wasn't always hereditary, nor was it as unique as most people believed. No matter how the Nidaime Hokage detested the Uchiha for their curse, even he was a hypocrite to think that only hatred and want of power grew within the Uchiha Clan. The world was consumed in shades of gray, no one was ever completely light and there would always be hatred inside each person. Hatred and want of power was present in every mortal's being despite there being many different and conflicting reasons.

The so-called Curse of the Uchiha lives in everyone, for hatred and pain and anger and want for power was needed by humans _(either willingly or not)_ as much as life and death was.

The Curse of the Uchiha didn't always mean to be consumed by hatred, it was to reach towards power and the consequences that followed, be it insanity or sacrifices or loneliness or losing precious people.

* * *

**Sorry if I made Zangetsu go OOC, but in this oneshot Sasuke is Zangetsu reborn, and so far the events go the same as cannon, except the part where Sasuke did a 'double suicide' after our Naruto series protagonist's death. I think that CannonIchigo and CannonNaruto are slightly similar, except that the latter is more naïve since he was goaling towards world piece, which is somewhat impossible; but impossibility are Uzumakis' speciality lol. Well, I really tried to put Tensa Zangetsu and Sasuke as in character as I could, but not sure of that; guess Sasuke's personality is dominant here...**

**If some of you are confused at the 'his pride and image is literally destroyed', Itachi is obvious, as he sacrificed everything, including pride, to make sure Sasuke lived; being a betrayer and a spy is not exactly a clean job. As for Ichigo, lol, I can actually see Yuzu making him change into 'cute' outfits, how? Well, Yuzu bursting in tears is enough to bring him to his knees...**

**Sorry if this sucked or if it was... bad? Dunno, but strangely enough, I like the dark aspects of this if it really happened. And while I don't really like CannonSasuke, I like the AU in where he is stricken with terror and regret after killing Naruto and so. **

**Er... I know I may seem focused on Itachi and Naruto, but they were the main fact that drove Sasuke to insanity (in my fic, of course). Itachi intentionally (Tsukiyomi and family death?) and unintentionally (he died and the truth came out), while Naruto is just unintentionally (Sasuke killed him and is stricken in terror; in my fic).**

**Inspiration for this came from the chapters where Zangetsu says he hates the rain and where Tensa Zangetsu yells at Ichigo to look at his inner world and how the buildings represented him losing hope. Sorry if I made them seem selfish, but this is Sasuke reborn here. Also, connecting the zanpakuto's hate of rain and how it represented Ichigo losing hope, and since it rained in the chapters where Sasuke's most impacting moments happened (realized family is dead; betrayed Naruto; killed Itachi; and in my fic, killed Naruto too), this just came up and I couldn't really ignore it.**

**Extremely sorry if all this is a jumbled mess, but it serously made sense (a bit) in my brain.**


	2. Illusions are always Deceiving

**Thankyou for the reviews, favorites and follows. I am glad that some of you like it. If you don't know/get it, this story will be made of multiple one shots that may or may not be connected; example that I already posted a Sasuke-as-TensaZangetsu chap, but later on I may post another different character as Zangetsu.**

**Summary  
**_**Aizen Sosuke was sealed and imprisioned; Kyoka Suigetsu was abandoned and shattered. "Only the strong survive... You were strong, I was weak; it is only right for you to live." Who was the strong and weak? Some assume they know the answer, however it was but a deception set by the ever changing ripples caused upon the waters of fate.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach**

* * *

Hatred.

Such a strong emotion, easily able to sway everyone with a mere brush of it. Hatred was what drove countless of people to commit the most atrocious sins, the vilest crimes and doom souls to hell. Hatred is an emotion that was so easily felt by people, causing wars and conflicts, beginning wars over petty things, and ending lives over the most trivial misunderstandings. It was a never ending cycle, for living beings will always have something to fear, and from that fear, hatred is born, which would then escalate into war and death and even more hatred. More often than not, those fueled by immense and justified _(is it really? no one knows, each has their own opinion and version)_ hatred were scarily powerful, always destroying and killing people, taking revenge on the world that snatched away everything they cared for. Those type of people were the ones who place blame on others the easiest, but they are also the ones that make decisions quicker; their decisions to kill some people possibly saved hundreds of lives too.

However, there were some people that find it so hard to hate others, find it hard to hold a grudge, find it hard to feel the need to even hurt others; but they were the ones who easily felt love and forgave people. Those type of people were few, respected by lots for being able to forgive so easily; yet, they were the ones that perished early. The world was cruel, and it would not give mercy to those that were naïve or weak, only the strongest could survive, and sooner or later the weak would perish if they did not grasp some form of strength. More often than not, these people are weak but kind fools, completely naïve to the harsh world that we live in. They always forgive the easiest_ (a great feat considering such emotion as hatred)_, but they are also the most breakable people to walk on earth, and ones who would sooner die than hurt others or people they cared about _(whether controlled, betrayers or killers; it didn't matter)_; their decisions often resulted in death or scarring _(whether physical or mental)_ injuries that never fade.

"Only the strong survive" It was like an unspoken rule and instinct running deep inside every living beings. Some were smart enough to grasp onto it, steadily climbing into the top while reaching towards power, slowly establishing their own power to make sure their loved ones were not threatened or even merely for the sake of power and survival. Although, others were stupid or naïve enough to ignore it, leading into people's death, either by protecting their naïve asses or killed by unremorseful enemies.

She just wished that she had been from the Hatred Category.

As the world she had known for decades crumbled into nothing, she just stood there as she waited for her end. It was inevitable, her fate was inevitable, her end was inevitable; the only thing that came out of her dying world was the emotional pain she felt, and the torturous hours that were spent watching all of it slowly disintegrate.

For that, she wanted to hate. She wanted to hate the Shinigami, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Hollows, Humans; and most of all, she wanted to hate Aizen Sosuke and that blasted Hogyoku.

But she couldn't, and for that, she hated herself for still being the same as she was years ago. If only she could feel hatred for _him_, maybe the war would have ended sooner, or maybe she could have lived, or maybe she could have betrayed her master and saved countless of lives. But she didn't, and that was more agonizing than ever, knowing that ruined lives and countless deaths were her fault; all because she couldn't betray her master or even waver her loyalty.

Grinning bitterly, she leaned against the trunk of a tree that still hadn't died.

Shinigamis tended to ignore that Zanpakutos were alive and treated them as non-feeling tools, while others acknowledged their partner's presence and treated them as their own person. She just wished that her master had been someone from the first category, the one that were blind and treated those of her "race" as mere tools to be discarded when no longer usable, perhaps if that had been the case, her master wouldn't have gotten her unwavering loyalty and her trust.

_Nonsense_, he had told her when she had questioned him. He had told her she was her partner, that she could trust him and that he wouldn't ever betray her. He would be her friend for all known purposes, he would stick with her even if she dangered him, he wouldn't ever treat her like a weapon, he acknowledged her existence as a living being.

Loyalty and trust was a hard thing to gleam from her, but when one got them she wouldn't ever betray them. It was ironic considering she was mostly a Zanpakuto whose nature was deception, constantly fooling others and putting masks upon masks.

Everyone_ (even herself)_ just got the end of the stick when _he_ had been the only one who could willingly communicate with her.

Aizen Sosuke was her master, the Shinigami that wielded her blade and soul, after all.

She hadn't change at all.

Others may have believed she was strong, a monster without heart, an idiot with no brain; but she wasn't.

She was but a naïve, weak and easily breakable fool hiding behind masks of laughs and grins.

But that same mask, the mask she wore since she was born, was broken once again. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to shatter something to pieces; just like Aizen Sosuke was shattering her world, her blade and her own soul into pieces.

In a way, another factor that anchored her to him, is that Aizen Sosuke eerily reminded her of her best friend, the one who killed her.

She had been with him since the beginning, she was essentially his other part, they were two people yet the same. No matter how much he tried to hide it, she knew his deepest secrets, only she had the honour of knowing the real, gentle and honest part of him that was unfortunately forgotten _(by everyone, even himself; only she remembered; so sad) _when he reached heights that were dangerous. She hated herself for allowing him to step into that path. She remembered the cause of his betrayal, the cause that made him feel so much hatred and the cause of his ambition to be God.

It had been a night, and he had just been a child, completely happy with his parents. But then, someone had been dispatched to eliminate his family, every friend he knew of, was dead in one night. That night, in his fit of despair and rage, he had awoken her power and used it to slaughter the ones who destroyed everyone and everything he cared for. Evidence of his power had lingered, and as a child, he had begged her _(didn't know but he felt her; face so much like the broken face of her best friend; before she knew it she was reaching to him and stepping to her future doom)_ to help him conceal it all; it was not difficult since he just had to follow _(surprise; he could hear her?; like those so-called prodigies...)_ her instructions, which he did correctly being the surprisingly smart child he was.

But the damage was done, and hatred towards the everything and everyone consumed him, along with the desire to stand as a God so that no one would make him go through that pain again. Gods were invincible, no one could beat them and those that threatened those under God's protection disappeared from sight; Aizen Sosuke wanted to be that sort of God.

She had watched as he struggled through each of her techniques, all illusions of course. She couldn't teach him her offensive skills until he earned the right, which hadn't happened and he looked completely content to use illusions and his cunning skills to kill his opponents.

Smiling a sad and slightly guilty smile, she silently watched as her blade crumbled, she silently felt her end nearing, and she silently awaited the inevitable sealing of her master. She had sensed the seal deep inside his soul, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't guilty for not disabling the seal or informing him, never mind that the Hogyoku had blocked whatever sort of communication they could have, or that Aizen Sosuke himself would ignore her in favour of the Hogyoku's advice.

What hurt her a lot was that Aizen Sosuke stopped** trusting** her, preferring the advice of the Hogyoku instead of the one who had stood by his side for decades.

Whatever reason it was, she didn't stop the sealing nor did she alert him. She had various reasons, countless of them that were selfish.

She wanted the real Aizen Sosuke back, not the revenge-filled man who was so blinded by hurt and anger and hatred.

Maybe with this, Sosuke would snap awake and return to the sweet, kind and gentle boy he had been years ago; the real him, not the illusion or a facade _(Sosuke was a liar; the facade showed to the Gotei 13 was his real self, the self that he had forgotten; such sadness and pity)_. Perhaps, after Kurosaki Ichigo defeated _(not killed)_ Sosuke, he would return to his right mind and would search other ways to make sure the people he cared about were protected. His ambition was too unhealthy, and her voice couldn't reach him _(how much time has it been since he visited her? She didn't know but she knew it was a long time)_ anymore.

Actions speak louder than words; so maybe Sosuke would see the himself from long ago in Kurosaki Ichigo, wanting to protect those they cared about and power being the only way to do it. Yes, those two were so familiar, their approaches to the situations was the only thing different about them.

She could only hope. Her last hope was placed in Kurosaki Ichigo, the only one who could snap Sosuke out of it. She prayed and prayed for Kurosaki Ichigo to save her master from the darkness, because she couldn't do it and she felt so useless for that.

She was so guilty, miserable and angry; why couldn't she help those she cared about? Why was she born under the star that made her watch as people she cared about were swayed into the path of revenge and darkness?

One thing that comforted and saddened her was Kurosaki Ichigo, the one who was determined to end her master. She couldn't really blame him, Sosuke did cause lots of problems, and she would be itching to kill the one who had staged her own mother's death. However, it wasn't the boy who caught her attention, but his Zanpakuto.

Zangetsu, the slaying moon.

Years ago she wouldn't have been able to do such thing, but she was different from before, and there was no way she could ever forget the feeling of her best friend. He had been such an ass, always insulting her and clashing against her in a competition. But she didn't mind, he was her only friend even if evidence _(their competition)_ suggested otherwise.

Her best friend was the one who killed her too, and she had seen the look on his face before she had died as a human.

She wanted to tell him she was alive _(a spirit but alive none the less)_, she wanted to tell him she didn't blame him _(the pain she had seen moments from her death was so uncharasteristic, yet it made him seem more like the broken child inside him that longed for family)_, she wanted to talk to Zangetsu _(nothing could change; she refused to believe they were anything but friends, even after years of separation and not hearing or knowing of each other)_.

But, she didn't.

The realms of Zanpakuto were so close yet so far away, each mindscape protected by a barrier in which each Zanpakuto could cross, but should one violate anothers they would promptly be rejected or attacked. It wasn't an issue for her to slip into the barrier, but she was afraid.

She, Kyoka Suigetsu, was hated _(and feared; so much fear and terror; don't go away, she wouldn't harm anyone; was she a monster?; hated in life and despised in death)_ by both Shinigamis and Zanpakutous, after all.

Uzumaki Naruya was many things, she had been a hero and a partner, a best friend and the Child of Prophecy; but one thing that was the most glaringly obvious of all, was that she was loyal to no fault, even leading to her own death by the hands of her best friend and her partner. Trust was a hard thing to gleam from her, loyalty even more so, and two of the most corrupted men in the ages of history had managed to earn them, break them and kill her with their own hands and beliefs.

But, even if it killed her, she couldn't find it in her to betray her precious people, hence death had claimed her sooner than expected. That was the proof of naïve people being the easiest to perish, she was young when she died and she was still young in her mind, so loyal to such corrupted people.

Perhaps it was a curse, to trust only to be betrayed and killed.

Guilt, shame, remorse and self-loathing clouded her figure as her world came seconds away from ending. She felt those emotions because she always let her precious people stray to the path of revenge, lead all those lives to ruin, caused all those deaths. She was guilty, and she longed nothing more than to live peacefully without worrying for her friends or family to stray to the path of darkness.

"Only the strong survive..." murmured the breaking Zanpakuto with a sad gaze, fist clenching.

In a way, Soul Society was lucky that Sosuke only learned the illusions bestowed upon her in her rebirth and the illusion version of her Bankai; although be it as it may, Sosuke rarely used her Bankai even when facing difficult opponents. She knew Sosuke knew illusions weren't her only skills, because as her current name said, she was but the reflection upon each ripple of water, deceiving others of her true nature. And knowing that a Zanpakuto's name reflects the spirit's true nature, Sosuke quickly deduced that deceiving of one's true nature wouldn't be_ truly deceiving_ if her skills were only illusions; there wouldn't be deception if enemies knew they were trapped in illusions although unable to break out of them.

Hiding her true powers; that was what her name implied, because others just guessed she only had illusions. They weren't aware of her true skills and prowess, of her ability to shred them out of existence in an instant, of her former reputation and titles of being a Wind Mistress instead of an Illusion Mistress; Shinigami, Humans and Hollow alike, whether mixed or not, they were_ all_ deceived by the reflection of her blade.

They assume she was just illusions and hypnosis; they were _unaware_ of her **_true nature_ **of causing destruction, devastation and_ front-line fighter_.

Only Sosuke knew she was more than just illusions and hypnosis; but be it as it may, even he still couldn't grasp the full power of her Shikai, hence he could only release a portion of her power, the illusion part of her Shikai for the lack of a better word.

Everything shattered before her eyes, her soul following not soon after, and she felt nothing for she was nothing.

* * *

Aizen smiled underneath the wraps binding him, and after sensing the man leaving his prison, he plunged back into his mindscape, smile disappearing as he looked at his surroundings.

Before his sealing, it had been years since he had visited this place and_ her_, but when he finally did he had been shocked at all the rotting and decaying the befell the nature. However, after some time he had managed to nurture it all thanks to constantly meditating and personally taking care of it. Everything returned to normal, everything was healthy and full of life.

_Of course, everything but** her**._

The bindings strapping him would have blocked himself from even entering the mindscape, but it was a little parting gift from her, and no Kido would be able to disperse it no matter how powerful, even if it was created from that sneaky Urahara Kisuke.

It was a gift from his former partner, a final farewell to make sure he didn't die; it was both cruel and humane of her. Aizen knew that much, but no matter how displeased _(understatement)_ he was over all this, he couldn't hate her for her decision; he had driven herself to it after all, and maybe it wouldn't have happened if he did his choice correctly; he should have known better too, but Aizen had never expected for Kurosaki Ichigo to defeat him.

He had everything planned, everything set into motion and everything perfect. His pawns were correctly removed in order, decoys were laid back in Hueco Mundo, he even had a counterplan for when Gin betrayed him; and while it was infuriating that Kurosaki Ichigo managed to defeat him, it was even more horrifying and shocking the realization that came afterwards.

Because, Aizen Sosuke, for all his smarts, hadn't planned for** her** to _fall _and_ shatter_.

Kyoka Suigetsu, his former partner and zanpakuto, had shattered and disappeared from the face of existence; and it was his fault. In her last moments of death, she had entrusted all her powers, mixed them with himself, and only after the sealing took place did he gain access to them along with the memories of using them.

He could have broken out of the bindings and sealings, make plans, cause chaos and mayhem, take his revenge on Kurosaki Ichigo and ascend to God just as he had wished to do.

But he didn't, and it was for the mere fact that he was repenting for his sins that he remained in Muken.

Not for the sins he had done against Soul Society or the Human World; _oh no_, they had no meaning to him aside from being mere pawns. No. He wanted to repent the sins he had done against his own Zanpakutou.

He had promised her, dammit! How many years had it been since he heard her voice or saw her? She had always stood by his side even after he had done the same things she hated, she couldn't even hate him; and he found it more painful than ever that she didn't survive because she refused to turn her back to him.

In a sense, with him surviving and having her powers, it was humane because she wanted him to live, she sacrificed her last moments to dig her power deep into a place where it couldn't be shattered; but it was cruel because she left him alone with unmeasurable power at his disposal, left him with the reminder that her death was entirely his fault, left him completely alone in this rotten and corrupt world of lies and deception, she left him and took with her the only place where he could be honest and not lie or be deceived.

Aizen Sosuke smiled bitterly.

For that, he would accept whatever punishment was handed to him, even goaded the foolish and unaware Soul Society to increase his sentence so that he would remain in the Mugen longer; though Aizen would have liked the time to be longer, much_ longer_. He deserved it, all those years spent in Muken was small in comparison to betraying his former partner.

In his mind, anything that so much as harmed her was doomed to suffer, even himself wasn't spared from his own rule.

Because while Kyoka Suigetsu was stronger than him, she was the embodiment of innocence so much like those seen in children; always too childish, too mischievous, too naïve and so compassionate.

Kyoka Suigetsu didn't have the ruthless will to make their enemies suffer like he had done, she didn't have the sadistic will to emotionally torture others like he had done, and she didn't have the merciless will to kill innocents like he had done in his quest.

In short, she was everything he wasn't.

They were two people yet one being; she was the light that illuminated and glued the word they dwelled in together, while he was the darkness that engulfed and shattered everything in site.

They were Yin and Yang, and Aizen only wondered how he could continue existing if his other half was dead.

"'Only the strong survive', hm?" Aizen Sosuke mused to no one, closing his eyes, unable to look at the surroundings that were beautiful to everyone else, but ugly to him because it only reminded him of how it must have been for her in her last moments. Without the one that had sincerely stood by his side all these years, the world, even his inner world, seemed too ugly and corrupt and empty and lonely than ever.

"...If that were the case, I should be dead; Kyoka Suigetsu, you should be the one living in my stead."

She was strong and he was weak, Aizen Sosuke accepted that much.

Kyoka Suigetsu would be the only one he would forever accept as someone stronger than him, not Kurosaki Ichigo or Yamamoto Genryusai or anyone else.

Sometimes, even after he fooled that just as unaware Quincy's perspection of time, Aizen wondered if Kurosaki Ichigo would succedd where he had failed: To protect everything he cared for without destroying it in the process.

* * *

The world is set in a balance between two opposite forces. Yin and Yang. Hatred and Love. Ally and Enemy. Hero and Villain. Winner and Loser.

One cannot exist without the other, but even so, what makes it their opposite?

There is no answer to that.

This world was but a deception set by the reflection of the moon in the water, its ripples causing life-changing events of which confuse this world's definition of opposites.

Eons earlier, a single man was proof of this, a man of which bore eyes resembling ripples upon the surface of the water.

And years after that same man perished, a human bearing the blood of whirlpool, those of which had the mighty bloodline to contact or even defy a God's whim, shook the world's view on opposites; she was viewed as a demon but in reality was nothing but a mere child looking for companionship.

In the present, a spirit bearing the name of water reflecting on the moon view and creating ripples across the surface, was the main cause of this world's destruction and peace.

_Mirror Flower, Water Moon._

Still, only the strong survive, and such legends are no exception, having perished when their influence had no more meaning.

It would depend on the ripples they caused, if this world would descend upon destruction or reach the peace it so desired.

* * *

**Aizen is OOC, but he's not. His attitude towards Soul Society, Karakura Town, Arrancar ect ect - is the same. He is the same manipulator we all know, but he's different ONLY towards his Zanpakuto.**


	3. Her Identity: Lily of the Wolf

**_Summery  
_****_Who was Lilynette Gingerbuck?_ The list went on and on. She was an Arrancar. She was an arrogant brat. She was the other part of Starrk. She was his Zanpakuto. She was his Fraccion and closest companion. - ****And she was former Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto.**

* * *

Who was Lilynette Gingerbuck?

She had been a Hollow who had yet to mature. She was a weak Arrancar. She was Fraccion to Primera Espada. She was partner and only companion of Coyote Starrk. She was a fucking brat according to Nnoitra's opinion.

The list went on and on, differing between insulting and formal.

But, to be honest, Lilynette couldn't care a fuck if they said insulting things behind her back.

Hah! They were too scared to say it to her face. Stupid cowards, all of them; she was surrounded by idiotic fucking cowards.

Lilynette hated them. She hated Aizen Sosuke and his band of little Arrancars. She hated those pricks who were too scared to insult her in her face, instead muttering things when her back was to them.

Most of all, she hated herself.

It was but a reason no one understood or knew. After all, Lilynette was brash, easily excited, adventurous, problematic, almost arrogant, and she butted heads with anyone who annoyed her; Grimmjow once had the honour of meeting the rare and chilling glare of a partially awake Starrk who was half-eyeing him and Lilynette.

No, no, wait. One person knew. Heh...

Starrk. Starrk understood and knew, but he didn't blame her.

Once upon a time, Lilynette would laugh and beam that someone didn't blame her for every mistake the world threw at them, but with Starrk, Lilynette for once wished that he blamed her.

It would be easier.

After all, she was the cause of his isolation, his loneliness and his silent suffering.

_Who was she?_

Hah. Lilynette knew who she was. She was the other part of Starrk. She was his Zanpakuto. She was his Fraccion and closest companion.

. . . . And she was former Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi.

When she was alive, she had no one. Her village hated her, she had no home, she had no family, and she had been forced to live outside the village; that way, she would be the first line of defense and possibly die. No one cared and no one bothered to, and that had made Lilynette despise them. She had despised humanity, despised Takigakure, despised the so-called parents that abandoned her - she despised everything and everyone.

But then, Akatsuki came and captured her. Personally, the Nanabi had been no one to her, and the same was the other way, but the Nanabi hated Akatsuki as much as Lilynette hated humanity. And to spite others, she digged half her power within the dying soul of Lilynette, because she knew what awaited in afterlife and she made Lilynette her indirect cause to spite others; the Nanabi was the 3rd strongest of the nine Bijuu, thus half her power was a tremendous boost, almost monstrous and out-wordly within young, naïve and lonely Lilynette..

For that, she hated the Nanabi.

The resulting experience was lost to Lilynette, but she remembered waking up in a dark space and a tugg pulling her towards a light; she had briefly freaked out since she did heard gossips of 'no going to the light'. Still, when she was finally out from that dark space, she found herself staring into the eye of Coyote Starrk.

Later, decades into their conpanionship, they found out the reason to the unusually and monstrous reiryoku of Starrk. It was the Nanabi. Having been a JJinchuuriki, with that same Bijuu stuffing raw chakra, which was neither dead or alive, into her caused phenomenal results; and since she somehow came to be part of Starrk, that power was mixed with the already Vasto Lorde level power they had.

Technically, while Lilynette was someone else in life, having her own identity, right now in the afterlife she was one self with Starrk.

Combined with the after effects of Nanabi being extracted from her, and since they were almost one soul thanks to having been together since Lilynette was a baby, that effect remained deep within Lilynette and became one of their skills when she _became_ Starrk. Their ability to separate their soul, hence granting Lilynette the pleasure of having her own body_ (wasn't sure on that since Hueco Mundo wasn't joyful),_ was originated from the scene of Nanabi being separated from her.

Sometimes, in the dark corners of her mind, Lilynette would question why Starrk didn't hated her like those in her past life.

At times, it was so surreal to imagine someone not hating her, because hatred and anger and bitterness was all she had ever known before Starrk came in.

And now, as she snarled and slammed her foot on Starrk's head, she wondered if this was how being_ content_ felt.

She had been Fuu, Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi and kunoichi of the Takigakure. Fuu despised everything and everyone. Fuu was a bitter human. Fuu abhorred the chains binding her to her village. Hatred brimmed within every cell of her body. There was no place for other emotion inside Fuu other than anger and hatred and loneliness, because she couldn't feel them or had a reason to.

But now, she was Lilynette Gingerbuck, and damn anyone who dare question it.

After all, her name was everything that made her a this, and without it she would become **Fū**, the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi and someone who _wasn't_ partner of_ Starrk_.

Despite physically striking the Primera Espada at every chance she had, Lilynette didn't despise him like she despised others. On the contrary, Starrk was the only family she had, albeit he was a lazy ass.

If she didn't have Starrk, then she had no one to lean on, no one to yell and talk to, no one to trust.

Right now, she was no Jinchuuriki or Kunoichi, she was Zanpakuto and Fraccion of Coyote Starrk, she was not **Fū**, she was Lilynette Gingerbuck.

* * *

Coyote Starrk liked to sleep, preferably in his mountains of pillows and where no one disturbed him. Sometimes, he was grateful other Arrancar, including the Espada, were wary of him.

As long as Lilynette was with him, he was fine either way, although he longed to sleep longer.

He and Lilynette were one, shared a soul and body, and in that turn they shared memories; thus Starrk, athough he didn't know if Lilynette knew, saw memories of Lilynette's past life as **Fū**, just like Lilynette saw whatever remained of his own past life.

When he saw her memories in hs sleep, he was reminded of the time he was alone, of the time he was a Vasto Lorde, of the time he had no Lilynette.

And that was more than enough to make him forgive Lilynette.

Yes, if it weren't for her he may have been a normal Vasto Lorde, but what would happen to her?

Starrk knew what loneliness was, knew how painful it was and knew that it hurt so much to have no one to latch on.

The memories of Lilynette were bizarre, of humans who could do these things called 'jutsus', of where they had Jinchuuriki and where she had been one; and her life had not been pretty. But one thing was sure, she had been lonely like he had been, she had no one like he had, and if he hadn't been this strong what would happen to Lilynette?

Be it as it may, Lilynette was his other half, and the only friend he had, the only family he had in the pack of hungering wolves known as the Arrancar.

He knew being lonely was painful, and he knew Lilynette had already been lonely when she was alive.

He didn't hate her, because he knew it wasn't her fault.

He didn't hate her, because Lilynette was his family and part of his pack.

He didn't hate her, because Starrk knew if he hadn't been there with her, then Lilynette would have no one.

From what he gleamed from the shared memories, he was probably the first person to regard Lilynette with something other than scorn and hatred; and his inner instinct, the instinct buried beneath the sleepiness and the instinct resembling his inner wolf, snarled and howled for the blood of the humans who dared harm a member of his pack.

Lilynette was precious to him, nothing would ever change that.

Now, if only the kid would let him sleep a little longer.

* * *

They didn't survive the Winter War, they were killed by Kyoraku Shunsui, and they were killed by a_ Shinigami **Zanpakuto**._

The next time they woke up, they remembered nothing about Aizen or Hollows, but their loneliness still continued.

Only the faint voice of each other reached them, and enrolling in Academy more as a need for his reiryoku was out of radar, they found each other again thanks to Starrk's surprisingly high skill with Jinzen.

And even if they were still avoided by Shinigami for Starrk still had reiatsu that occasionally suffocated other Shinigami, they were content with being in each other company's.

Now, Lilynette listened and watched the outside world, she blinked curiously when the Captain of the Division Starrk was going to, stop and stared.

Starrk, for his credit, didn't pay any mind to the shock in the Captain's expression, and just yawned while looking about to kneel over from sleep.

That is, until Lilynette realized he was falling asleep, and she fumed, before flooding reiryoku and twisting it into the equivalent feeling of her kicks.

And she concentrated that reiryoku kick right where the sun didn't shine.

The next second, Starrk really kneeled over and groaned in pain.

Kyoraku Shunsui, in rare moments of shock because he was usually laid-back, just stared agape at the Shinigami resembling the Arrancar he killed so long ago.

And everything went to hell, but amidst all it, Starrk just went to the nearest comfortable spot and proceeded to sleep, all the while listening to the raging and rants of his Zanpakuto.

Not everything was perfect, but they had a voice to kill off loneliness, and that was enough for them.

* * *

**Srry is Lily or Starrk are OOC. I am not exactly inversed in their personalities, but since Lily is Fuu in her past life, there is bound to be some changes even though she is not Fuu anymore. e.e Also, the second part is Starrk's THOUGHTS, in the outside he would appear as the lazy ass we know him and love him as. XD**

**Actually, suggestions on who could be who are certainly welcomed.**

**I LOVE YOU EVERYONE!  
(Those who favorited, followed and reviewed)  
^/^**


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